Christmas Break

We are settling into Christmas break nicely. One week in and almost a week more to go. Today it is sunshine-y, which is rare enough to make it perfectly delightful. It has been warm. (Relatively speaking of course.) I think we hit 45 F on Christmas Day. Which meant we had a multi colored Christmas. Some green/brown showing through the melting snow. And now, almost all the snow is gone. The kids have enjoyed running around outside without their snow pants. And now that the sunshine is back, it is back down in the single digits. Brrrr. It seems colder after it has been in the 30s for a couple days. 

My Elsie baby and her baby

We had Christmas dinner here, for the first time. It was a small crowd, since Tori and Cody are out on the west coast and Clover and Evan were at their own house. Just us, Mom and Dad, and Owen, Ashley, and Hoyt. The kids had fun setting and decorating the table. 

Mom brought me beautiful flowers. I love these flowers (Mums, Alstromeria, and carnations). They last so nicely. Flowers that wilt 2 days later are always a grave disappointment to me. 

Lily had to make play-doh hats for the dinosaurs.

We don't do a lot with Christmas, but the kids each got one present, Gilbert got dinosaurs, Lily got the spirograph cyclex you see here (It is cool! It is spirograph with gears that can't slip!) and a pack of colored pens to do it with. Elsie got a baby carrier that I finished making about an hour before Christmas dinner, and Orianna got a little horse stable full of horses. And then, I had play-doh, so they each got a can of play-doh. 

This was our Sunday afternoon. Lots of game playing! Mom brought over a stack of board games for the kids to use, in addition to the robes she bought them for presents. They are in love with those robes. And the games!

Justin and I playing Dominion. Our new favorite! 

And the girls playing Life. 

This brings back such memories. I used to play this a lot with Lindsey, Nina, and Verity. We had to modify it a little, adding cards for husbands (index cards with pictures cut out of magazines) and I think there were cards for us as well. Cut out of magazines. And if we got one of the less beautiful ones, I think we even had a make over thing where we could pay and get a new person. (We were shallow.) But I remember those cards. All the magazine people so terribly 90's looking....

This is the girls glittering things. 

When I bought this on Amazon, one of the reviewers said glitter was a life choice. Once  you buy glitter, it gets everywhere, and if you are not okay with a little sparkle in every part of your life, then you shouldn't buy it. I have discovered how very true that is! We have glitter all over the place. They are careful when they use it and Gilbert and Elsie are not allowed near it, but still, it just gets everywhere. So forgive us if we sparkle slightly. 

The older girls made a rolling skating rink out of the kitchen since the table was moved to the living room for Christmas dinner. Gilbert and Elsie, not to be left out, made a tricycle race course out of the kitchen, entry, living room circle we have. Putting the dishes away became quite interesting. But I love that they are roller skating and tricycling instead of being on the iPad or the computer all the time.

Yesterday, the girls decided to make an orphanage out of our bedroom, So our room got turned upside down. Lots of babies, blankets, pillows, and food. 

And yes, Orianna is quite in love with her new robe. All the kids are, but Orianna has been wanting one for a few years, so she loves it that much more.

Poinsetta in the sunshine

I let the kids dress themselves yesterday. (Okay, I let them dress themselves every day of vacation. Or stay in pajamas.) This is what Gilbert came up with. Track pants, a tee, and a tuxedo vest.

Yep, he is cool!

And now we are awaiting New Years Eve company, including Clover, Evan, and kids. We fully intend to have a hilarious couple days of it. Hope your New Years is lovely!